COVENTRY Blaze must show no fear when they take on Cardiff Devils in back-to-back games after Christmas.

That’s the view of long-serving James Pease, who has temporarily come out of retirement to help with the injury crisis on the blue line.

Still only 29, Pease hung up his skates for the senior team two years ago to become the club’s general manager.

He has been playing for the English National League side and was called up as cover last season when Blaze lost several players to international duty.

And he admits he has enjoyed the latest call-up, prompted by injuries to four defencemen.

Coventry were faced with the prospect of having just one regular defenceman available for the Boxing Day clash with Cardiff but Brad Zanon should be joined by Jason Robinson, who was struggling to get a flight home to Canada.

Pease, the veteran of many battles with the Devils, knows his side are in for a tough ride regardless of how many bodies they are able to put on the ice.

“We are going to have to be fearless if we are going to keep up with them. We will have to go for the puck, take the hit, finish the hit.

“We will need to play tough as a team, we don’t need a fighter. We have to stand up for ourselves. They are a big, physical, skilled team and it is going to be a different level to the last games we have played.”

Pease added that the current injury crisis is the worst he has known, adding: “It’s ridiculous. There must be about half the wage bill off the ice, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Coach Paul Thompson has been full of praise for the way Pease and Antti Kohvakka have stepped up from the ENL side to fill in at a higher level.

“I’ve just tried to play within my limitations,” Pease said. “It’s important not to get too tired, because then it takes you longer to recover and that affects your performance. It’s about managing what you do on the ice and managing your shift.

“If we are going to be in the title race after Christmas we need to win these games coming up against Cardiff and Sheffield. If we win, we’ll get closer to them in the table and cut the gap, if not we’ll isolate ourselves.”